Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I didn't get to see much of the game as my grandson Nicholas is in the hospital, but what I saw was horrible. I did see coach clueless at the end of the game complain about defensive breakdowns. The stiff's team scores one goal, in the first minute, then spends the next 59 minutes doing cartwheels, doesn't score again and the bum complains about defensive breakdowns. But this is the great coach that the drive-by media and the apologists love because he has brought stability to the team. Yeah, stability. They are a stable sub-.500 team. The Rangers have won only seven of twenty four road games and have seventeen of the remaining thirty games on the road.

Carolina came out looking for a fight last night and aided by some poor calls by the refs they got away with it. Not that correct calls would have helped the Rangers. The Rangers were 1-4 on the power play. At even strength the Rangers were non-existent. They could score only one goal against a team that has given up 171 goals this year. That is the third worst in the Eastern Conference. How bad is the NHL? Carolina sits atop the Southeast Division and in third place in the Eastern Conference with 54 points the same as the Rangers who have 54 points while sitting in a tie for eight with the Islanders.

But, we must make the playoffs. Why? So we can play Ottawa and get wiped out in the first round. The caliber of the hockey being played in the NHL is at best mediocre and boring and the Rangers exemplify both of these dubious qualities very nicely. The master plan is not working. The two star additions have been at best mediocre (there is that word again). Gomez is okay but Drury seems lost. Jagr and Shanahan are breaking down, despite what Sam and Joe try to tell us, and the young legs don't get enough critical ice time. Despite all this if the Rangers had a good coach they would probably be ten games better then they are now. They have coach clueless and will continue to have him as long as the Stealth GM and the absentee owner stay in power. Where are you Pat Burns?

6
comments:

The problem is the coach. I agree. I will show you why. Here are two shot charts. One is last night. The other is the last time we played Carolina.

Rangers lose:http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/shotchart?gameId=280129007

Rangers win: http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/shotchart?gameId=271226013

Carolina had a simple game plan. The Rangers won by scoring up close. They had to keep us back. They scored up close when they lost, but did not crash the net enough. Last night they crashed.

This example is typical of the Rangers this year.

Defense: The league knows you can only score against the Prince if you get really close to the net. Coach Clueless should make the defense clear the front or sit. The trade we need is a physical defenseman or two.

Offense: Pay the price and go to the net, or sit.

This team has a lot of talent. Imagine what Sutter would do with this team.

Yes, Lundqvist needs some big burly bodyguards to keep the bad guys out of his face. It looks like other teams can swoop in and obstruct his view at will. No one pays a price for screwing with him. I probably missed it, but when did a Rangers defenseman last get into a brawl in front of the net?

WAKE UP PUNDIT. We destroyed the red-hot Flyers last night. The wins are coming, the wins are coming. Tonight is the test. I had a dream, I swear I saw Sean Avery lifting the Lord's Cup over his head while giving the middle finger to the fans...and there is Tom Renney staring at The Dark Ranger shaking his head with a "I told you so..."

The Ranger Pundit

I'm Mike Savino, the Ranger Pundit. I have been a NY Rangers fan since the 1937 - 1938 season. The first game I saw in person was in 1943 against the Blackhawks. My biggest disappointment was the '49-50 season and our loss to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals.